The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 66, July 1962 - April, 1963 Page: 93
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Notes and Documents
from the United States and the mother country, whose family con-
nexions are highly respectable; not one of whom but was elated at
the idea of having an opportunity of "rendering the state some serv-
ice," of chastising an insolent and merciless foe; men who went into
action cheerfully against fearful odds, with a full determination that
no Mexican fetters should ever encircle their limbs; that their vessel
might go down, but that their country's flag never should be struck
That such gallant and daring young men, so devoted to the cause of
their adopted country, should, through any act of mine, be rendered
obnoxious to an odious epithet, is to me a source of the most painful
reflection and regret. It will be a happy consolation to them and to
their friends, however, to find that so far from their acts having de-
served cinsere Peans have been re-echoed in their praise by the patriotic
sons and daughters of their adopted country throughout the republic.
Clothed as the Commissioners were with official authority, to wrest
the Vessels from Com. Moore, and not being at liberty to disclose
to him the secret Act of Congress, nor their secret instructions, we
were brought into collision at once. Com. Moore contending that he
was not bound to be governed by any 'Secret Act' bearing directly upon
himself without a knowledge of the Act; that, by authority, he had
compromited his Government with that of Yucatan, that both himself
and his Government were in honor bound to fulfil his engagement, and
that while he held the power he should so direct it. As the corre-
spondence between Com. Moore and the Commissioners will prob-
ably be laid before the Public, I will not enter into any detail, but con-
tent myself with saying that the Commissioners felt themselves bound
to comply with their instructions as far as was within their power, but
how to proceed further than they had done, without giving publicity to
what they had been particularly instructed to keep secret, they were at
a loss to decide, and accordingly came to the conclusion to lay the
whole affair before a gentleman of high legal attainments, for advice,
as one in whom they felt assured the Government placed every confi-
dence. Every fact and paper was placed before him, and his opinion
was that we could proceed no further in the business, until we should
receive additional power from Government. Col. Bryan the Junior
Commissioner, proceeded immediately from New Orleans to the Seat
of Government of Texas, and made known to President Houston how
the affair stood, and who then clothed the Commissioners with such
authority as to place the Vessels under their direct control. It then
became their duty to see that the safety of the Vessels was not jeopar-
dised by any hasty proceedings on their part, and the only plan that
suggested itself to them for their security was by taking them to Gal-
veston, and they so wrote to the President, stating that the writer
would go passenger in the Austin.
By this time Com. Moore, in order to fulfil his engagements with
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 66, July 1962 - April, 1963, periodical, 1963; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101196/m1/107/?rotate=180: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.